Three “traumatised women” kept as slaves have been freed after spending three decades imprisoned against their will in a city home, police said.

A 30-year-old British woman, a 57-year-old Irishwoman and a 69-year-old Malaysian woman are believed to have walked to their freedom from a property in south London after media coverage on forced marriages gave them the courage to contact a support charity.

Meanwhile, Ed Miliband has insisted Labour acted with the “utmost integrity” as a political row grows over the party’s dealings with the Co-op Bank and its disgraced former chairman Rev Paul Flowers.

And, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has indicated there may be a further review of the work of Britain’s spies.

The news comes following the latest revelations from US whistleblower Edward Snowden suggesting a deal was reached in 2007 to allow the US National Security Agency (NSA) to hold the phone, internet and email records of ordinary UK citizens.